William king



(No Model.)

w. KING. BELT TIGHTENER.

Patented Dec.

I/Vl ENTOR:

WITNESSES.

belt-clamps.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM KING, OF LONGMONT, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES W.DENIO, OF SAME PLACE.

BELT-TIGHTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,057, dated December2, 1890.

Application filed September 5, 1890- Serial No. 364,041. (No model.)

T0 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatl, WILLIAM KING, of Longmont, in the county of Boulderand State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Belt-Tightener, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description. I

The object of myinvention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, andconvenient device, which will afiord means for the speedy tightening offlexible belts of any description, and particularly to take up theslackness in elevator-belts and retain them in taut condition while theexcess of material is removed and the ends of the band or belt joinedsecurely.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination ofparts, as is hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents the device in position on two engaged belt endsready for service. Fig. 2 shows the reverse side of one portion of thetightening device detached from the Fig. 3 is a side view, in section,of one belt-clamp, taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4represents the belt-tightener in position, clamped to the detached endportions of a driving-belt, ready for manipulation to shorten the beltor draw the severed ends into contact and hold them so adjusted untilthey are secured together.

The belt-tightening implement, briefly described, consists of twolocking-clamps that may be placed on an elevator-belt, or a driving-beltthat is inplace on its revoluble supports, which clamps are connected bya ratchet-bar and vibrating lever so arranged that a vibration of thelever will draw the clamps toward each other and tighten the belt orelevator-band, the slack portion of which can then be removed and theends joined. The belt-clamps A. are of similar form, and each consistsof a rectangular metal plate a, bent upward at right angles at its ends,forming flanges a to engage the edges of the belt .13, or they may bewider apart than the width of the belt without detriment. One of saidflanges of each plate a has formed therein a circular perforation b, andthe other flange of each plate has formed therein an L-shaped lanternlock-slot b. This construction of the plates a affords bracket-framesfor the belt clamps, which are completed by the insertion therein of aremovable locking-dog c for each bracket-frame. As shown in Fig. 3, saidlock ing dogs 0 are each formedfrom a metal plate cut into shape andbent to produce adependin toe c and at o osite oints on the ed es I: 3 lb direction on each of its edges, the series of teeth on one edge ofsaid bar being staggered with regard to the teeth on the other edge, or,in other words, are located with their lockingshoulders between theshoulders of the teeth 011 the opposite edge. A bifurcated lever D isplaced on the 1'ackbar C, having its limbs f, of equal length, looselyengaged with the sides of the bar and projected above and below thetoothed edges of the rack-bar, and in the spaces thus afforded betweenthe limbs f two latch-bars g are pivoted, having their toes g soprojected with regard to the ratchetteeth 6 that said toes will engagethe teeth they are opposite, and by the rocking movementof the lever Dsuccessively push against the rack-bar in the same direction. On the endof the rack-bar C toward which the ratchet-teeth c are sloped aguide-block h is secured and projects laterally, the projecting portionhaving in it a perforation h, in which is adapted to slide a draft-bar 1which has formed at one end a hook 2'', whereby it may be connected withthe perforated end. 01 of one of the locking-dogs c, as shown in Fig. 1,and the other end i of the said draft-bar is pivoted to the lever D,asrepresented in Fig.

2. The opposite end 7c of the rack-bar C is perforated to receive thehooked end of a link or short connecting-bar m, which is loosely securedto the adjacent perforated end d of the locking-dog c of the other clampA in a manner which will permit quick removal.

Upon the limbs f of the leverD an abutmentblock it is pivotally secured,through which the rack-bar C loosely slides, and said abutment-block,having contact with the opposing edges g of the latchbars g, when thelever D is vibrated enforces an engagement of the toes g of saidlatch-bars with the teeth 6 of the rack-bar C.

To connect the device for use, the lockingdogs 0 are removed from thebracket-frames of the clamps A, and said frames are made to embrace thebelt B or a band of an elevator between its buckets, and thelocking-dogs, being then replaced, assume the positions shown in Fig. 1.The rack-barO is now hooked fast at one end to one of the dogs 0, andthe draftbar 71 is similiarly secured to the other locking-dog. \Vhenthe parts are connected with the belt B in the manner shown anddescribed, the leverDshould be slowly vibrated, which will cause thelatch-bars g to alter: nately push against the teeth e of the rackbar 0and pull the locking-dogs 0 toward each other, and as they bite upon theflexible band or belt B its engaged portions are similarly moved, whichoperation can be maintained until the belt has been renderedsufficiently taut upon its pulley-supports F, when the surplus materialmay be removed and the belt ends joined, after which the tighteningdevice may be quickly removed.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim. as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A belt-tightener consisting of a pair oflocking-clamps, a double-toothed rack-bar connected to one of theclamps, a bifurcated lever spanning the rack-bar and connected to theother clamp, and latch-bars pivoted on the lever and adapted to engagethe teeth of the rack-bar, substantially as set forth.

2. In a belt-tightener, the combination, with a pair of clamps, eachcomprising a bracket-frame and a removable locking-dog, of a rack-barhaving teeth on both edges and connected at one end to one of thelockingdogs, a bifurcated lever spanning the rackbar and connected tothe other locking-dog, an abutment-block pivoted on the forks of thelever, and latch-bars pivoted on the lever above and below theabutment-block and adapted to alternately engage the teeth of theWILLIAM KING.

.Vitnesses:

E. J. BAER, CHAS. E. DAY.

